Guide to Archiving Mail Automatically in Microsoft Exchange

You can set up mail to archive by turning on archive mailboxes, choosing archive policies, and using retention tags. Exchange archiving keeps your messages on the server, so you can see them on any device. Outlook AutoArchive moves old emails to a file on your computer. Automatic archiving helps you follow the law, like saving emails for years. It also makes it easier for you to manage your mailbox.

Key Takeaways

• First, turn on archive mailboxes to start automatic archiving in Exchange.

• Use retention tags and policies to decide how long emails stay and what happens to them.

• Make sure you have the right licenses and permissions before you turn on archiving.

• Use PowerShell or the Exchange admin center to manage archive mailboxes easily.

• Check mailbox size and policy status often to keep archiving working well.

Prerequisites

Licensing

You need the right licenses before you begin. Microsoft Exchange gives archiving in both Exchange Online and Exchange Server. Every user who wants an archive mailbox must have the right subscription or license. In Exchange Online, archiving is part of some Microsoft 365 and Office 365 plans, or you can buy it extra. For Exchange Server, each user needs an Enterprise CAL, and the mailbox server must have an Enterprise license. If you use a hybrid setup, on-premises users need Enterprise CALs. Cloud archive access needs an Exchange Online Archiving subscription.

Tip: Archive mailboxes are just for one person. Some plans let you use auto-expanding archiving up to 1.5 TB.

Here is a quick comparison:

Some plans that let you use archive mailboxes are:

• Exchange Online Plan 1

• Exchange Online Kiosk

• Microsoft 365 Business Basic

• Microsoft 365 Business Standard

• Office 365 E1, A1, G1, F3

• Microsoft 365 F4

Permissions

You need the right permissions to turn on and manage archiving. You usually need the Exchange Administrator role. The Mail Recipients role lets you turn archive mailboxes on or off. This role is in the Recipient Management and Organization Management groups in the Exchange admin center.

To manage archiving, you might also need:

1. Organization Management role for full admin access.

2. Compliance Management role for compliance jobs.

3. Mailbox Import Export role for moving data in or out of archive mailboxes. You must add this role because it is not there by default.

Supported Versions

You can use automatic archiving in these Exchange versions:

• Exchange Online (part of Microsoft 365 and Office 365)

• Exchange Server 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019 (with Enterprise CAL)

• Hybrid deployments (mix of on-premises and cloud)

Note: Not every version has all features. Always check your plan and version before you begin.

Enable Archive Mail

Exchange Online

You can turn on archive mail for users in Exchange Online. Use the Exchange admin center or PowerShell. This is easy and helps you control mailbox size. It also helps you follow rules.

To turn on archive mail for a user in the Exchange admin center:

1. Log in to the Exchange admin center.

2. Click Recipients and then Mailboxes.

3. Pick the user mailbox you want.

4. In the mailbox settings, find In-Place Archive and click Enable.

5. Say yes to confirm. The archive mailbox will show up in Outlook and Outlook on the web as "In-Place Archive".

Tip: After you turn on archive mail, users get a new folder called "In-Place Archive" in their Outlook list.

You can use PowerShell if you want more options. PowerShell is good for turning on archive mail for many users at once.

Exchange Server

If you use Exchange Server (2010, 2013, 2016, or 2019), you can turn on archive mailboxes with the Exchange admin center or Exchange Management Shell.

To turn on archive mail in the Exchange admin center:

1. Open the Exchange admin center on your server.

2. Click Recipients and then Mailboxes.

3. Pick the mailbox you want to archive.

4. Click Enable under the In-Place Archive area.

5. Confirm your choice.

To use Exchange Management Shell:

• Run this command to turn on archive mail for a user:

Enable-Mailbox -Identity "username" -Archive

Note: You need the right permissions for these steps. Make sure you have the Mail Recipients or Organization Management role.

PowerShell Methods

PowerShell gives you strong tools to turn on and manage archive mailboxes. It is very helpful for many users at once.

Common PowerShell commands:

How to turn on archive mailboxes using PowerShell:

1. Connect to Exchange Online PowerShell.

2. Check the archive status for all mailboxes:

Get-Mailbox | Select DisplayName, ArchiveStatus

1. Turn on archive mail for one user:

Enable-Mailbox -Identity "user@example.com" -Archive

1. Turn on archive mail for all users who do not have it:

Get-Mailbox -Filter {ArchiveStatus -Eq "None" -AND RecipientTypeDetails -Eq "UserMailbox"} | Enable-Mailbox -Archive

1. Turn on archive mail for users in a CSV file:

$users=Import-CSV "C:\users.csv"
foreach($user in $users){Enable-Mailbox –Identity $user.UPN -Archive}

1. Disconnect from Exchange Online when you are done:

Disconnect-ExchangeOnline

Tip: When you turn on archive mail for users with retention policies, Exchange adds 5 GB to the Recoverable Items folder. This helps keep deleted items during archiving.

Common issues and solutions:

• Sometimes, users do not see their archive mailbox in Outlook. Make sure Outlook is updated and the user has the right permissions.

• If you move mailboxes between on-premises and Exchange Online, you might see missing archive info or "ghost archives." Updates to the Mailbox Replication Service usually fix this. If not, run Microsoft scripts to fix mailbox details.

• If you have trouble with retention policies, make them again or check for problems using Exchange Management Shell.

Note: Always check your Exchange version and license before you turn on archive mail. This makes sure you get all the features.

Archive Mail Policies

Retention Tags

Retention tags help you decide how long emails stay. You use them to set what happens to messages after some time. You make retention tags in the Microsoft Purview compliance portal. There are three types you can pick:

Each tag can move, delete, or let users recover items for a short time. You choose how long to keep things and what to do when you make the tag. Personal tags are the most important. If a user adds one, it beats other tags.

Tip: Personal tags let users control their own folders more.

Auto-Expanding Archive

If you get lots of email, your archive mailbox can fill up. Auto-expanding archive gives you more space when you need it. You need Exchange Online Plan 2 or a similar license for this. The archive mailbox starts with 100 GB. When it gets close to full, Exchange adds more space, up to 1.5 TB.

• You must turn on the archive mailbox before using auto-expanding archive.

• You can only turn on auto-expanding archive with PowerShell.

• After you turn it on, Exchange adds storage by itself when needed.

• You cannot turn off auto-expanding archive after you start it.

Note: Auto-expanding archive is best for people who get lots of mail every day.

Assigning Policies

You give archive mail policies by doing these steps:

1. Turn on archive mailboxes for users in the Exchange Admin Center.

2. Make retention tags in the compliance portal. Set how long to keep things and what to do.

3. Create a retention policy and add your tags to it.

4. Give the retention policy to user mailboxes in the Exchange Admin Center.

You can change the default policy to fit what you want. You should also show users how to use personal tags and check mailbox sizes often. This helps you manage storage and keeps archive mail working well.

Outlook AutoArchive

Configuration Steps

Outlook AutoArchive lets you move old emails to your computer. This helps keep your mailbox neat and organized. To set up AutoArchive in Outlook, do these steps:

1. Open Outlook. Click the File tab, then pick Options.

2. On the left, click Advanced.

3. Look for the AutoArchive section. Click AutoArchive Settings.

4. Check the box for Run AutoArchive every n days. Pick how often you want it to run. Many people choose every 30 days.

5. Decide what happens to old emails. You can move them to a file or delete them.

6. Click Browse to choose where to save your archive file. Outlook usually saves it as archive.pst in the Outlook Files folder.

7. To set AutoArchive for one folder, right-click that folder in the Navigation Pane. Click Properties, then go to the AutoArchive tab. Change the settings for that folder.

Note: AutoArchive works best if you set it up for each folder you want. If you use Exchange, your company might limit some choices.

Limitations with Exchange

There are some limits when you use Outlook AutoArchive with Exchange mailboxes:

• AutoArchive puts emails in a PST file on your computer. You cannot see these emails from other devices.

• If you lose or break the PST file, you might lose your archived emails.

• AutoArchive does not make your Exchange mailbox smaller on the server.

• You have to set up AutoArchive yourself. It does not turn on for everyone by itself.

• AutoArchive does not have compliance features like retention policies, eDiscovery, or legal holds.

• Searching and managing folders is not as easy as with Exchange archiving.

• Exchange archiving keeps emails on the server, so you can see them from any device.

🛑 If your company uses Exchange retention policies, AutoArchive might not work right. Always ask your administrator before you set it up.

Troubleshooting

Archive Not Visible

Sometimes, you might not see the archive mailbox in Outlook. It can also be missing in Outlook on the web. You can try these steps to fix the problem:

1. Look in the Microsoft 365 admin center. Check if your archive mailbox is turned on. If it is not, turn it on and wait for it to update.

2. Make sure you have the right permissions. An administrator must give you access in the Exchange Admin Center.

3. Update your Outlook app. Old versions may not show the archive mailbox.

4. Try making a new Outlook profile. Sometimes, a broken profile hides the archive mailbox.

5. Do not use security groups for full access. Give permissions straight to your account.

6. If you use a browser, turn off “Automatically detect settings” in proxy settings. This can help with connection problems.

7. In hybrid setups, Outlook might not add the archive mailbox by itself. You can add it in Outlook Web App. Or, make a new Outlook profile with the shared mailbox login.

If you still do not see the archive mailbox, wait a few minutes. Sometimes, changes need time to show up. You may need to check the ArchiveName property in PowerShell. Set it if it is missing.

Policy Issues

Sometimes, archive mail policies do not work right. Here are some common reasons:

• Outlook’s Auto-Archive may move emails to your computer, not the archive mailbox.

• Retention policies in Exchange move emails after a set time.

• The Default Retention Policy can change your custom settings when you turn on archive mail.

• Archive folders are not saved on your computer, so they can be slow to open.

To fix policy problems:

1. Check your Outlook rules and Auto-Archive settings. Turn off anything that moves emails outside Exchange.

2. Look at retention policies in the Exchange Admin Center. Make sure they fit what you want.

3. Remember, personal retention tags do not work by themselves. You must add them yourself.

4. The Managed Folder Assistant runs once a week. If you want changes sooner, run the Start-ManagedFolderAssistant command in PowerShell.

5. For small mailboxes or turned-off accounts, policies may not run by themselves. You can start them by hand.

If you change a retention policy after emails move to the archive, they will not go back to the main mailbox.

Licensing Errors

Licensing problems can stop you from using archive mail. Here is a table to help you find common licensing errors:

If you see a restricted mode or cannot archive new mailboxes, check your license page. Sometimes, you need to ask your administrator or Microsoft support for help.

If you still have problems or a feature is missing, contact Microsoft support for more help.

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To start automatic archiving in Exchange, first turn on the archive mailbox. Next, make retention tags and connect them to a policy. Then, give the policy to users. After that, run the Start-ManagedFolderAssistant cmdlet. Automatic archiving helps you follow the law. It also saves storage space and keeps things working well.

📊 To get the best results, watch mailbox size. Make sure the policy is working. Look at storage use over time.
You can make your setup better by reading Microsoft’s guides for more advanced archiving steps.

FAQ

How do you check if your archive mailbox is enabled?

You can check in Outlook or Outlook on the web. Look for a folder called In-Place Archive under your mailbox. If you do not see it, ask your administrator to enable it.

Can you recover emails from the archive mailbox?

Yes, you can. Use Outlook or Outlook on the web to search your archive mailbox. You can move emails back to your main mailbox if you need them.

What happens if your archive mailbox gets full?

Exchange Online adds more space with auto-expanding archive. You do not need to do anything. If you use Exchange Server, ask your administrator to check storage limits.

Do archive policies delete your emails?

No, archive policies move emails to your archive mailbox. They do not delete them. You can still find and read your emails in the archive.

Can you use Outlook AutoArchive and Exchange archiving together?

You can use both, but it is not recommended. Outlook AutoArchive saves emails on your computer. Exchange archiving keeps them on the server. Using both can cause confusion about where your emails are stored.